While Microsoft's latest Windows Phone 8 update is slowly rolling out to existing handsets, the company is prepping new changes that will be made available by the end of the year. Sources familiar with Microsoft's Windows Phone plans have revealed to The Verge that the software maker is currently testing a General Distribution 3 (GDR3) update. The update is designed for new hardware initially, and will provide a rotation lock feature, UI changes to Live Tiles, and a driving mode option that's designed for in-car use.

I have faith in your cognitive abilities, so I'm sure there was a point buried in there somewhere, so I was curious as to where it was.

I Understood it. Shall i explain it to you?

The original poster said that feature parity with other platforms wasn't important because WP8 is "all new, and sooo different". Fergy pointed out that they shouldn't have bothered with things like a camera as they are "soo different", after all adding a camera is merely matching features with other platforms...

The original poster said that feature parity with other platforms wasn't important because WP8 is "all new, and sooo different". Fergy pointed out that they shouldn't have bothered with things like a camera as they are "soo different", after all adding a camera is merely matching features with other platforms...

So let me get this straight (and since you're doing such a kick ass job explaining, I'm sure you'll be able to elucidate): Where do those hardware features have to do with anything in an interface, which is what the OP explicitly (you can scroll up and read again to refresh your mind) stated?

Where would you get the implication that it was even a universal notion, that every feature had to be differentiated uniquely, and not just the ones deemed by Microsoft to be worth it?

The Windows Phone interface isn't actually much different. It's just a slightly different layout (vertical scrolling, whoop-de-doo!) with a different icon shape (rectangular). Pretending that WP8 is so radically different that it somehow doesn't need better notifications (it does) and easier access to commonly used settings (it really, really does) is just disingenuous: WP8 does not, functionally, distinguish itself from other phone operating systems. Hell, it doesn't even scroll smoothly (its one biggest selling point, if fanboys were to be believed).